This invention relates to a lubrication system for use with an electric motor or other dynamoelectric machine and is more particularly concerned with a wick-type lubrication system.
In many electric motor designs, the rotor shaft of the motor is journalled in bushings or sleeve bearings which are pressed into respective openings in the hubs of the end shields at the opposite ends of the motor. Each of the bearings and the shaft journalled therein is typically lubricated by a thin film of oil or other lubricant fed into the sleeve bearing and onto the shaft by means of a felt wick carried within each of the end shields. Typically, prior art motor lubrication systems (such as illustrated in FIG. 7) utilize a feeding wick which contacts the rotating shaft through a window provided in the bushing or sleeve bearing. In turn, this feeding wick is in contact with a lubricant impregnated reservoir wick for continuously supplying lubricant to the feeding wick.
However, certain problems were encountered with many of these prior art wick-type lubrication systems. For example, it was difficult for a production worker on an assembly line to manually install the feeding wick within the hub of the end shield. In many instances, it was necessary for the worker to physically deform or bend the feeding wick from its "as formed" shape so as to enable it to be inserted into the end shield hub. Also, in certain instances, it was found that the feeding wick would not always make and maintain lubricating contact with the shaft and thus it would not properly lubricate the shaft.